Due to the ever-increasing requirements that power circuit breakers have to meet with respect to the overall size, current carrying capacity, etc., the requirements for the internal mechanisms are also becoming increasingly demanding. For this reason, a physical limit in component design, especially with respect to the breaker mechanism, has been reached as a result of the high spring force that is required for switching the contacts and producing the contact force and the angle of resilience.
It has so far been the case in breaker mechanisms that the energy is built up until the switching point of the breaker mechanism is reached. At the switching point, the turning of the breaker shaft for opening or closing the electrical circuit breaker begins.
In order that the components undergo as little mechanical stress as possible, in this invention the maximum amount of stored energy is used for actuating the breaker mechanism.